Till Death Do Us Part, Sort Of: A Moonlight Story
by Donnamour1969
Summary: Mick and Beth make plans to tie the knot, and Josef's just the vamp to make sure it's not tied too tightly. Humor/Romance/Friendship. Rated T/M for language and adult content. Using these characters for fun, not profit.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello? Is anyone still there? Anyone still interested in this terrifically long series? I suppose, even if you haven't read my other fics for "Moonlight," you won't be too lost if you choose to start with this one, but you're more than welcome to go back to the beginning and read the first installment, "Behind Closed Doors." I would love for you to give this one a try anyway, even if you are new to my writing.

A little background/reminder of what's been going on in my post-series world:

This story takes place about two and a half years after the show ended. Josef and Simone are married, and Simone is a vampire. Mick and Beth are engaged, and Beth has also been turned. Beth now has the gift of reading auras (I promise it isn't as silly as it sounds) and is able to discern people's true emotions and honesty. So, that's where we are in a nutshell. Now, on with the show…

**Till Death Do Us Part—Sort Of **

**MICK**

"So we've set the date," I told Josef, while reclining on his office couch, swirling his twelve-year-old scotch around in my glass. He stood at his bar, pouring his own drink, adding a liberal shot of B neg.

"Finally getting those his and hers trapezes, eh?"

I shook my head in amusement. "Unlike some people, Beth and I don't need extra accoutrements in the bedroom to enhance our sex lives. No, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm talking about setting our wedding date."

"Too bad," Josef lamented dryly. "About the trapezes, I mean. Keep an open mind though, Mick. After a hundred years of marriage you might decide you need them."

"Gee, thanks. So, do you even care when you need to show up, or what?"

Josef settled himself in the chair across from me, taking a drink with a small smile.

"Sure, why not? If you tell me it's on Valentine's Day, though, I might lose my lunch—and she was delicious."

At my stricken expression, he laughed.

"No way," he said. "Already starting off your marriage with a cliché. Not a good sign, Mick."

"The most romantic day of the year, Josef," I said defensively. "Hey, you got married on New Year's Eve, for God's sake."

His laughter faded as we looked at each other, commiserating as only two whipped men can.

"So, when and where exactly will these nuptials be?" He asked me seriously.

I almost didn't want to tell him. "Valentine's Day at midnight. On the beach."

This time, he only shook his head. "Barefoot?" he asked, cringing in trepidation.

"Yeah," I said sheepishly, downing the rest of my scotch. "Please say you'll still be my best man, or I just might find the nearest stake and end it all."

He sighed. "Sure, of course. Honored to do it. On one condition."

A guy should always be wary about Josef Kostan's "conditions."

"Sure," I heard myself saying. "What is it?"

"I want free rein for the bachelor party."

"Absolutely not," I said.

"Come on, Mick. After the lame-ass party you threw for me, you owe me. I appreciated the thought and all, but a manly fishing trip on my yacht with no women wasn't exactly what I wanted for my last days of freedom. And I'm still finding glass from when that bastard Logan broke the windshield. It's payback time, my friend."

I sighed, knowing he was right. Truth be told, the estrogen-free bachelor party I'd thrown him had been more for my own benefit, my own self-preservation so Beth wouldn't be mad I'd been cavorting with freshies.

"Okay, but no—"

"Ah, ah, ah—" He chided, wagging a finger. "Free rein. No exceptions."

"Fine," I conceded with a sigh, resigned to my fate. "So, what's it gonna be? Freshies? Strippers? Freshie strippers?"

"You leave that to me. I promise it will be much more exciting than fishing for something we can't actually eat." He waggled his eyebrows comically.

I closed my eyes with a moan, covering my face with one hand. Why did I feel like I'd just made a deal with the devil?

**BETH**

"You know he's going to want to throw Mick a big party," Simone told me, after I'd shared the news of our impending wedding day. "Complete with freshies."

"I trust Mick," I said, meaning it.

"How about Josef?" Simone knew her husband, all right. She smiled, sipping her dinner through a straw. We were sitting outside by the pool, enjoying the coolness of the late January evening. Mick was at Josef's office asking him to be his best man, so I'd come over to see Simone and enlist her as matron of honor. She'd happily accepted.

"I really don't think you can trust Josef to keep Mick out of trouble," she continued.

"Why? You think he could force Mick to do something he didn't want to do? You and Josef are okay about using freshies, but you know Mick and I aren't into that—nothing personal. Besides, I don't see how you can drink another man's blood and not get…well, turned on, for lack of a better description."

Simone laughed. Had I still been human, I'm sure I'd be blushing a million shades of red right now. "Of course it can be a turn-on, especially if the guy you're drinking is hot. That's why Josef and I have the best sex right after partaking of live donors. That's what I'm saying though, Beth, about this bachelor party. Let Mick have his fresh drinks, then you stay nearby to ensure the only real fun he has is with you."

"You're suggesting we crash their party? Didn't we try that already? If you remember correctly, when we barged in on their poker game I almost had a knock-down-drag-out with a skanky freshie. Mick was pretty pissed off with me."

"Yeah," Simone said in fond remembrance of our pre-vampire Lucy and Ethel days, "but as I recall that night ended quite well…for all of us."

Strip poker was quite an aphrodisiac—how well I remembered too. I'd like to think Mick and I had built up enough trust by now that petty jealousies were beneath us. We were about to be married; we'd gone through a lot to get to the level of trust we'd reached. I hated to think we'd be taking a step backwards if I acted like I didn't have faith in him.

"No, I don't think it's a good idea," I said with finality. "And I don't want a party either, Simone. I think I got that out of my system with _your_ bachelorette party."

"You sure?" she asked, but I think she was relieved. As a newly turned vampire, she'd almost killed the male stripper at the club I'd taken her to for her party.

I smiled. "Yeah."

"Well, thank God. Unless you'd like to sew the last of your wild oats before settling for an eternity of stable and boring Mick St. John." Her tongue was firmly in her cheek with that remark. She knew damn well Mick was an amazing catch; I was about to be the luckiest vampire alive, existing-well, you know what I mean.

"If Mick St. John is what some would consider _boring_, I'm resigned to being bored silly for the rest of eternity."

Simone laughed. "_I'll_ certainly never know what it's like to be bored," she said, referring of course to her unpredictable husband. "Some days though, boring would be a relief."

"I can only imagine," I said wryly. We grinned at each other knowingly.

"Well, now that that's settled, don't you think we need to have a more serious discussion. Say, about wedding dresses…?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later that night, I lay sated in my fiancé's arms, his face buried in my neck as he held me tightly to his body.

"Well, that was an unexpected pleasure," I sighed happily, my hands in the short curls at his nape. His hair had nearly grown back to its pre-lost-bet-to-Josef length of a few months before, and I was happy to have something to hold onto in the midst of passionate moments, like the one minutes before. He'd been waiting for me outside my apartment when I got back from Simone's, and I could tell by his aura he wasn't in the mood to do much talking.

"I take it your visit with Josef went well," I said in amusement.

Mick shook his head slightly. "I suppose. It's hard to say sometimes exactly what happened in a meeting with Josef."

I laughed softly. "Bachelor party plans?"

He slid his head down to rest on my breast. "Something like that."

"What does that mean?"

"There will be supposedly be some kind of party, but with Josef in charge, I'm actually scared out of my wits, to tell you the truth."

"Well, no matter what he does for or to you, I trust you, Mick. Josef? Not so much. But let him have his fun or we'll never hear the end of it."

"You know, I thought _I _was the one who was supposed to have fun. Why does it feel like he's about to throw the bachelor party of _his _dreams?"

I chuckled, then shivered a little as he kissed the side of my naked breast.

"Poor Mick," I said, my fingers playing idly with his curls.

"It's worse than that," he pouted at my unsympathetic tone.

"Poor, _poor_ Mick…whatever can I do to make it better?"

I could feel his burgeoning hardness against my thigh.

"I guess I just need to take my mind off it for awhile," he whispered before taking the tip of my breast into his mouth.

"I'd be more than happy to help you with that," I said on a tremulous sigh.

**TBC**

A/N: Okay, so there's chapter one. I hope you liked it and want more! Please log in and let me know. Coming up, the bachelor party from Hell. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration…


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the warm welcome back. I hope I continue to entertain you. It's fun to be back in this world—I've missed these characters so much!

(Please be on the lookout for your review replies soon.)

**Chapter 2**

MICK

Josef picked me up in his limo the night of my bachelor party. I have to say, I was a little nervous, and of course Josef picked up on it right away.

"It's not like you're going in for a fang extraction, Mick. Don't you trust me?"

I settled for shooting him a look with raised eyebrows. He only chuckled at my discomfort.

"Since this is your first time, I'll be gentle with you, I promise."

"Are the guys meeting us there?" I asked, trying to change the subject. Talking about how nervous I was only made things worse, frankly.

"Well, everyone but Logan."

"What? Come on, Josef. You know he's a friend of mine. A little annoying, sometimes, I admit, but this is technically _my _party."

"It was nothing personal this time, Mick. Where we're going, there's an age requirement."

"Seriously?" I looked over at him to see if he was kidding, but he was wearing shades even at midnight and his mouth was an enigmatic line.

"Seriously."

But he wouldn't give any more hints and as we pulled into the parking lot of a warehouse just two blocks from my apartment building, I became more and more curious. Also, there were no other cars parked in the lot.

"Did you rent out an entire warehouse for this bash? Where is everybody?"

"You'll see."

The driver let us out of the car and we walked through the darkness to a side door, lit with a single security light above it. The door opened as if by magic (or the strength of his ego) and I took in the burly vamp guard just inside the building.

"Mr. Kostan," he said politely. Josef inclined his head slightly, then the guard leaned forward and took in a big whiff of me.

"Hey," I said, offended, backing up a few steps.

"Sorry, sir. Club policy. You can go on down."

Josef chuckled and led me through the dimly lit empty space to a narrow hallway, before stopping at another door.

"What the hell was that about?" I asked in annoyance, as Josef put his hand on the doorknob.

"I told you there is an age requirement; weeds out the riffraff. You had to have been a vamp for at least fifty years, plus you have to be accompanied by a current member."

"Now I really feel old; I smell my age. But I was turned fifty-eight years ago. You've had eight years you could have brought me here. Why now?"

"You wouldn't have been open to it eight years ago. Hell, you may not be open to it now, but you agreed to give me free rein for your bachelor party…"

I looked now at the darkened stairwell that would lead us down—_very _far down.

Josef disregarded the stairs and jumped easily to the first landing.

"You coming?" he asked in amusement, his expression challenging.

"By all means, lead the way, buddy." I joined him at the end of the first flight of stairs.

The further we went down, the darker and creepier it became. We left the sheet-rocked and painted walls for those of natural rock that were slightly damp to the touch.

"What is this place? You taking me down here to brick me into a wall or something?"

Josef continued to the next landing. "There are much easier ways to dispose of bodies, Mick, you know that," he teased. "If you're too scared, Angel May, we can go back."

I didn't even dignify that with an answer, just jumped two more flights ahead of him. It was too bad the stairwell was so narrow that we couldn't just jump down to the bottom in one fell swoop, but it didn't take long to jump down ten levels before coming to yet another door, this one with no knob. I sensed right away that it was lined with silver. No way I was touching that. There was a keypad nearby, and Josef punched in a few numbers. The door slid open, and I my senses were immediately inundated with loud music, laughter, the scent of aged vampire, and lots and lots of blood.

"Welcome, my friend to…The Bat Cave."

Josef stood aside so I could get the full effect of the venue for my bachelor party.

Dear God, how do I begin to describe the place? It was a gigantic underground cavern, complete with flying and hanging bats at the ceiling some twenty feet above us. The main focal point I suppose was the immense natural lake. Vamps were swimming in the deep cold water while some relaxed in pool chairs set at the lake's edge.

There was a bar at one end of the lake, where one could order blood or alcohol or any cocktail in between, with little umbrellas decorating the tall glasses. A few humans sat at the water's edge, just dipping in their bare toes, given how intolerably cold the lake must be to them. The bite marks on their necks and wrists clearly showed for what reason they were allowed in the club.

On the other side of the immense club was a small casino. Poker, craps, roulette and even slot machines vied for the attention of vamps and humans, both male and female, of multiple races and ages. Freshie wait staff served up glasses from the bar or gladly offered a wrist when asked. I recognized a few familiar faces from LA's vamp society, and we nodded to each other politely.

"This used to be where most of the vamps in LA lived in a commune like situation, long before air conditioning was invented," Josef explained, grabbing two scotch and bloods from a passing waitress.

The temperature of the room was quite comfortable; I could see how it might be an ideal hideout. Dark, cool and private.

As we moved farther inside, I saw the source of all the blood I'd smelled the moment the door slid open.

In the center of a roped-off circle was a large plastic pool filled with fresh, warm blood. Apparently, we'd arrived just in time for the main event. A tall, male vamp in a designer tuxedo appeared, mic in hand, on the dais just above the blood pit. At the sight of the announcer, vamps and freshies alike began migrating toward him, quickly forming a ring around him and the pool. That much blood in one place was a little intoxicating, I have to say, and the closer I got to it, the more on the woozy side I became. No wonder the blood flowed so freely from the bar and the freshies, otherwise you'd have vamps drinking from that pool like pigs at a trough. I took a nervous drink from my glass.

"Is this what I think it is?" I asked Josef.

"Oh, it is indeed, Mick," he replied gleefully.

I sensed the presence of two familiar vamps coming up behind me, and I grinned without looking. The rest of my party had arrived.

"Hey, man," said Guillermo. "Welcome to the club."

I shook his hand, then shook my head. "This place is incredible! I can't believe you guys were able to keep this from me so long."

"That's because Logan doesn't know," joked Daryl Morgan, my favorite barkeep and closest male friend besides Josef. Logan had been turned sometime in the 1960's, so he must not have reached the magical anniversary that would gain him entry into this exclusive club. Daryl stuck out his giant hand and mine disappeared into it. He restrained himself from nearly breaking my fingers for a change, and I grinned my appreciation.

Josef greeted our friends and turned back to the MC, who, seeing he had the attention of most of the members, began to speak:

"Welcome everyone to The Bat Cave! For you newcomers, my name is Jay Rockefeller—yes, that is my real name, but no, there is no relation, or why would I be working in this dive, ha ha. Just kidding. But enough about me. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming our newest member of the club, sponsored by the inimitable, Josef Kostan"—cheers and clapping greeted his name, and Josef waved at the audience—"Mr. Mick St. John. Welcome, Mick!"

I gave the crowd an embarrassed grin, hating this kind of attention, myself.

"In case you don't know,"continued the host, "Mick is about to be married, and Josef was kind enough to invite us all to his best friend's bachelor party."

More cheers, along with a few joking calls of condolence. I smiled good-naturedly, but my elbow slammed hard into Josef's side. He hissed at the unexpected pain, but then his grin only widened, and my other two so-called friends laughed outright.

"So, my dear members," continued our MC, "in honor of Mick's upcoming nuptials, or Second Death, as we single vamps like to call it," (twitters of laughter) "The winner of our match tonight shall service our bachelor in any and every way he sees fit. For in this game, the victor actually _is_ the spoils!"

The applause this time was deafening, but over it all I could still hear the dirty comments, the speculation of just what I might do with the winner.

"So, without further ado, let me introduce tonight's contenders for Mick's, uh, affections, ha ha. From right here in LA, a freshie well-known to many of you for her sweet blood and her talented hands, Miss Cassie René!"

From a dressing room at the end of a catwalk, emerged a familiar face, and I gulped silently. The gorgeous freshie, all dark hair and big bosom, walked confidently in her mile-high heels down the ramp, undeniably sexy in her bright red bikini that exactly matched her shade of lipstick. She caught sight of me, and her smile dimpled wickedly in her golden tanned cheeks, and previous encounters with the brunette came flashing back...

Beth had nearly gotten into a cat fight with her back when Beth was human—with me right in the middle of it. It had been at the famous poker night fiasco, when Beth and Simone had crashed our party, and Cassie had simply been my designated freshie for the night. It wasn't like I'd used her—hadn't even planned on it- but Beth had been consumed with jealousy that I might.

And then there was the time right after Simone had been turned, when she was learning the proper way to drink from a freshie. Josef, the instigator, had invited Cassie to help with Simone's training. Big mistake; Simone had nearly killed her for Beth's sake. I could still make out the scar she had left on Cassie's neck, even with the makeup the poor girl had used to try to conceal it. Needless to say, Beth and Simone both hated this woman, and now Cassie was here, ready to fight for me yet again, ready to get her revenge on our women.

"Jesus Christ," I blasphemed under my breath.

"Lovely as ever, isn't she?" commented Josef.

"You're going to go to hell, you know that don't you? And maybe sooner than you think if Simone catches wind of this."

"You know me, Mick, always existing on the edge…"

"The edge of stupidity," I mumbled, but Josef only chuckled.

Guillermo and Daryl, present at that long ago poker night, looked at each other knowingly. Beth and Simone weren't going to like this if they ever heard about it, but they both agreed silently that it wouldn't be from them. An angry Beth was a scary sight to behold, even to these seasoned vamps. I was definitely glad big-mouth Logan wasn't here, despite the comic relief he often supplied.

"Cassie's challenger," continued Rockefeller, "is a newbie to the club, and to this country. Coming all the way from Sydney, Australia, the blonde bombshell, Shelia Collins!"

An equally beautiful woman, this one in a black thong bikini, richly tan herself, sauntered in her own heeled sandals to take her place near the MC. An obvious scene-stealer, Shelia gave a slow little twirl to show the crowd the two beautiful globes of her ass, not a tan line in sight.

"Jesus Christ," echoed Josef to my right. My other two friends could only drool in awe.

For the sake of my upcoming nuptials, and the insured continuance of my very existence, I strongly wanted Shelia to win. I was seriously considering making a run for it, but I had promised Josef free rein, so I knew I was trapped.

The betting began in earnest around us as the ladies stepped carefully down the stairs leading to the blood pit, slipping off their shoes and kicking them out of the way. They made a big show of dipping their toes tantalizingly into the blood, kept warm and fragrant by an unseen heater. I could hear the pants of hungry vamps all around me—it was certainly a risk to tempt us in this way. Maybe that's why there was an age requirement; no newbie could resist the temptation.

"Ready, ladies?" asked Rockefeller.

"Ready, Jay," they chorused, then they each looked directly at me and blew me kisses. Daryl patted me on the back—hard.

The competitors stepped fully into the filled pool to face each other from opposite ends, crouching low, their arms at the ready. The crowd called out the names of their favorites. Then, from hidden speakers came a loud bell, like that from a boxing match, and the blood wrestling began.

I'd seen mud wrestling before, and it was certainly titillating, but to a vamp, this was an experience that captured every one of our heightened senses, male and female alike. I could smell the arousal all around me, including, God help me, my own. The women struggled, slipping, falling and writhing around in the blood like actresses in some macabre horror flick. In the process, their bathing suits slipped to reveal their nudity beneath the thick layer of gore, which stained their hair and stung their eyes. It was literally a blood bath.

The shouting became deafening, and Cassie, the more experienced contestant, seemed to have the slight edge over the slightly thinner Shelia, holding her in a headlock until the bell rang, ending round one.

In the next round—there would be three—an angered Shelia made a comeback, clearly winning that round when Cassie slid out of the pool and onto the blood spattered deck to much applause and whistling. Then came round three. Each woman, equally worked up and angry, came at each other with a vengeance, much to the delight of the crowd. They slipped through each other's hands like slippery fish, then chased each other around the small plastic pool, bent on victory at all costs. Finally, Cassie grabbed Shelia's long hair, causing her to stop short and slip onto her back. Cassie was on her in a flash, sitting on her chest to push her down beneath the blood, her hands going under to hold Shelia's head. There was still a minute left in the round, and Cassie was not getting up, though her arms and legs thrashed valliantly.

As the seconds ticked by and no one attempted to save Shelia from drowning, I began to feel abject fear and horror that these ghouls were going to allow this girl to die for their own entertainment. I felt my glass slip from my numb fingers and break on the smooth rock floor.

"Stop!" I yelled, but no one was listening. Even Josef put out a restraining hand, but I broke away, jumped the ropes, and splashed my way into the pit. I yanked Cassie up by the arm, slinging her away without seeing where she landed, then pulled up Shelia, leaning her over the edge of the pool to try to get her to cough out the blood she'd swallowed. The crowd was not pleased, to say the least, and began shouting angrily at me.

"Ladies and Gentleman, please, stay back," said Rockefeller. "Mick here is unfamiliar with our rules, and seems to have a soft spot for helpless humans. Mr. St. John, please remove yourself from the pit—you're disrupting the game."

Two of the club's bouncers advanced toward me to pull me away from the choking girl, but then Daryl and Guillermo suddenly jumped the rope too, forming a barrier between forced expulsion and me. Guillermo might be short, but he was old and strong, and Daryl, built like a linebacker, was imposing enough to give the club goons pause. Shelia seemed to be coming around, having held her breath most of the time when she was under, so I picked her up and, heedless of the complaining club members, their MC, and even the hired muscle, I made my way upstairs toward the girls' dressing room. Behind me, I could hear Rockefeller trying to soothe the irate gamblers.

I was covered with blood from my brief struggle to save Shelia in the pit, as well as the residual stuff from slick body of the girl in my arms. I quickly walked through the dressing area, with its vanities and lighted mirrors, and found the bathroom. I turned on the shower, setting Shelia gently on the tiled floor. She sputtered and coughed some more, but was able to stand on her own.

"You gonna be all right?" I asked her, just loudly enough to be heard over the spray.

She nodded gratefully, taking a big drink of water and rinsing out her mouth over and over. Reassured, I grabbed a towel off a rack and left her to her privacy.

Josef, Daryl, and Guillermo were waiting for me in the other room, Josef's face split into a derisive grin.

"I knew you couldn't handle this. Leave it to Mick St. John to rescue a trollop in a blood wrestling match."

I threw down the bloody towel in anger. "I can't fuckin' believe you were gonna stand by and let her die."

"They sign a release, Mick. And these women do this for a shitload of money, so don't feel too sorry for them. They know what can happen."

"You're telling me it's not uncommon for innocent women to die in this game?"

Josef shrugged. "Not exactly innocent, are they? Are _we_, for that matter? It is what it is. I just thought you might enjoy your last hurrah in some place new and…inspiring. Now, good luck getting in here again. I assured Rockefeller I'd get you out of here quietly, otherwise I'll lose my membership."

"What about you guys?" I said, eyeing my other two friends. "You come here often to cheer women to their deaths?"

"In the five years I've been coming, I've never seen anyone die," Daryl said, giving Josef a hostile glance. "I don't think I'll be back."

Guillermo's silence was telling, but then, he was much older than Daryl and I.

"Fine. Let me see how the girl is, then I'm out of here."

"We'll wait outside," said Josef caustically.

I turned from him coldly and knocked on the half-closed bathroom door. "Shelia? You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, her accent made even sexier by the hoarseness caused by coughing. I tried not to remember how hot she was. _Think about Beth. Think about Beth._

She came out of the bathroom wearing a short terry cloth robe and a towel wound around her blonde hair. She eyed me, my clothes and shoes having tracked blood all through the two small rooms. I looked at her sheepishly.

"Sorry for the mess."

She smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. After what you did for me—" her eyes welled with tears. "I owe you, Mick, big time."

"You owe me nothing. I just hope I didn't get you in trouble. On second thought, I hope they fired your ass and you get the hell out of this death trap, no offense."

Her smile turned sad. "I have bills to pay," she said quietly. "Anyway, what can I do to thank you?" Her manner became seductive, and the belt of her robe seemed to magically loosen around her waist, allowing me a glimpse of the wondrous valley of her cleavage. She advanced on me and I stood perfectly still, unable to move. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around my neck, going up on tiptoe to pull my lips down to hers.

I found myself letting her, despite the fact I was getting married in less than twenty-four hours, despite the fact that I wanted no more to do with anything related to this barbaric club. This was my bachelor party, after all, my last hurrah, the last woman I would ever kiss before only kissing one woman for the rest of my existence. I put everything into it, my tongue slipping into her mouth while my hands slid inside her robe to gently cup her warm breasts, briefly recalling how wonderful it had been to feel Beth's warmth when she was human.

With a gasp I pulled away as if that warm skin of hers had burned me. She looked up at me in a daze and I couldn't help smiling. Vamps were predisposed to have sexual power over humans; it was a control mechanism.

"Sorry," I whispered. "I'm engaged, remember?"

She came to herself enough to smile back at me. "It's okay, although I haven't even begun to repay you…Your fiancé is a very lucky woman."

I grinned my thanks.

"Good-bye, Shelia. And watch your back where Cassie is concerned. She's a real bitch."

She smirked. "Yeah, don't I know it."

I walked out of the dressing room to find my friends patiently waiting for me, obviously having eavesdropped on my moment with Shelia, if their small smiles were any indication. Josef looked pretty pleased with himself as he, Guillermo and Daryl escorted me to the door of the club, mindful of the angry glances being shot my way. I suppose the night hadn't been a complete loss for Josef, at least.

Upstairs, in the cold February night, I felt like I could suddenly breathe again, metaphorically speaking. My anger with Josef melted away, and I knew my actions with Shelia were now a confusing mixture of honor and minor betrayal of Beth. But I knew I could live with the guilt of that last kiss, and maybe someday I might even have the guts to tell Beth about it.

Josef must have called his limo driver, for his car was waiting for us, it's engine idling quietly. The chauffeur got out to open the doors.

"No way you're getting into my car with blood all over you," Josef told me in disgust. Daryl and Guillermo had walked over from Daryl's bar, but had decided to take Josef up on an offer of a lift back. Apparently there was a club rule about keeping the warehouse parking lot empty after dark so as not to draw attention to what was going on below it.

"No problem," I said tightly. "I just live around the corner. Thanks so much for the bachelor party from Hell," I told him sarcastically. "See you at the wedding."

"Hey, Mick," Josef said, before sliding into the limo. "Sorry you didn't have a better time." But his eyes were sparkling because he knew he had one over me now. I knew someday—maybe even tomorrow during my wedding reception-the truth of what happened this night just might "accidentally" slip out.

"Yeah," I said, but I was amused too. I'd sown my last wild oat, and I was feeling a little lightheaded about it.

"Bye, Mick," called Daryl from inside the car. "See you tomorrow."

"Later, dude," said Guillermo. The driver shut the door behind them. I watched the big black car roll quietly out into the street, then I broke out into a run. I didn't want anyone to see me like this, covered with blood and unable to explain why. What can I tell you; vampires lead interesting lives.

A/N: I think I neglected to tell you that this story will only be three or four chapters long. So, next chapter is the wedding. Thanks for reading…


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Some of you expressed disappointment and disbelief at Mick's actions with the freshie Shelia in the previous chapter. Good. You should have. It was totally out of character for Mick. Now, with this chapter, I hope you see the method behind my madness. Those of you who have read my other fics know that I don't always follow a straight line to get to where I ultimately take these characters. Those who are newbies to my writing, I hope you're still hanging in there…

**Chapter 3**

**MICK**

I don't know how long I stood under the shower, the cold spray bringing me out of my blood-induced haze. I washed and rewashed, trying to take the scent of the Bat Cave away, along with the sweet human smell of Shelia. A tremor ran through me at the thought of what I had done. In the heat of the moment, covered in blood, aroused by the sight of the women wrestling in it, the vampire in me had taken over. The lightheadedness I'd felt after rescuing her, smelling her, kissing her, finally dissipated only after I'd tossed my bloodied clothes and boots into the fireplace, downed three pints of blood, and stood in the shower so long even my resilient vampire skin began to prune.

Guilt slammed into me, and as I stepped out and looked into the mirror just hours before my wedding, I wondered what I would do. I'd been fooling myself that I could live with what I'd done to that girl, and for a brief moment I thought of calling Beth and confessing, letting the chips fall where they may. Instead, chicken shit that I am, I put on my robe and called Josef.

"Am I still your best man?" he asked. "Because I already bought a new monkey suit for the occasion. You don't want to know how much Armani charges these days. Highway robbery, I tell ya."

"Yes, you are still my best man, and yes, I'm still pretty pissed off at you for taking me to that god-awful place. But I assume you didn't think anyone would die…at least, I hope you didn't"

Josef chuckled. "No, Mick. Even I know better than to take you to watch two women kill each other in a vat of blood-as fun as that might be. But human best men take grooms to watch mud wrestling or strippers—just thought you'd like a taste of how vampires do things. Apparently, you got more than just a taste with Shelia, eh?"

"Jesus, Josef, I felt like a newborn vamp around all that blood. It messes with your head. I can't believe I did that. What would Beth—"

"Don't even think about doing what you're thinking about doing. You're getting married in a matter of hours. Are you seriously trying to screw this up?"

"No, but—"

"No _but's_, Mick. It's not like you slept with her. You didn't even bite her. A quick round of tonsil hockey isn't worth stopping a wedding."

"And…I copped a feel."

"Why, Mick…I'm proud of you," he said, impressed.

"Well I sure as hell am not! I think Beth would be less likely to forgive me if I bit the girl."

"Right, this is Crazy Beth we're talking about. Simple solution: don't tell her."

"I don't know if I can do it, Josef," I said quietly.

"You've just got a case of the nerves. Cold feet. You know, we really need to invent a different description for vampires who are nervous about getting married. We _always _have cold feet."

"It's not that," I countered. "I love Beth. I've been waiting a long time to marry her. We've just been through too much to start our marriage with any secrets between us."

We were both quiet a moment, then Josef gave a frustrated sigh. "You're hopeless, Mick. I swear, you finally find yourself on the edge of happiness and have to find _something_ to pull you right back from it. Look, I'll be there on that goddamn beach at midnight come Hell or high tide, and I expect you and Goldilocks to show up with proverbial bells on. But if you don't show, I'm sending that bill from Armani to you, capeche?"

I grinned for the first time since we entered the Bat Cave. "Okay. I'm hitting the freezer, as if I could actually sleep."

"You do that, buddy. Me? I'm going to go bang my wife like there's no tomorrow, because you know what, Mick? Being a vampire doesn't guarantee that there will be. Good night."

"Night," I echoed, disconnecting.

Resigned to my brooding, I took off my robe and climbed into my freezer naked. I was still awake long after I felt the ice crystals beginning to form on my face.

**BETH**

It was ten minutes before the wedding and I stood before the mirror as Simone put the finishing touches on my hair. My gown was traditional white, a heavy satin that fell straight to my ankles without the embellishment of a train. The bodice was strategically placed lace and seed pearls, with thin satin straps at my shoulders. My hair was partially piled atop my head, the rest hung in curls, strung with flowers and pearls throughout. I felt beautiful, and couldn't wait for Mick to see me as I walked to him on the shore, my feet bare in the sand.

Simone had volunteered the private beach outside the house she'd kept, and had basically spoiled me the entire day, allowing me to use her lush bathroom and guest bedroom to get ready. Mick and I had agreed to observe the old tradition of not seeing each other the day of the wedding, but I hadn't spoken to him either, and not hearing his calming voice, his teasing laughter, had taken its toll. I was nervous, as a bride should be, and caught my own eyes in the mirror. They were luminous and just a little misty, as I thought of the first time I saw Mick as an adult.

A murder scene. A fountain. And my feet were bare then too. Not exactly a romantic occasion, but he was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen, and I'd felt a connection to him immediately, felt I'd known him all my life. Of course, I'd found out later that was basically true, that he'd rescued me as a child, but gratitude didn't begin to cover the depth of feeling I felt for him so very quickly. Our love had endured everything that could possibly be thrown at it—jealousy, blindness, uncertainty, anger…death. Endured and survived.

"You ready?" asked Simone softly, smiling at my reflection in the mirror.

I smiled at us. "More than ready. Is he waiting on the beach?"

"Yes, I peeped out the window a few minutes ago, and Josef is trying to ply Mick with liquor to calm his nerves."

I laughed. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like I need a drink."

Simone put her hands on my shoulders and turned me to look directly into her eyes. "This was meant to be, from the moment he saved you from his crazy wife, this day was written in the stars."

"I was just thinking that," I said.

"Well, see. You have nothing to worry about. Now here, take this." She gave me my single white calla lily, wrapped at the bottom in grey satin, the ends tied off in a bow, then reached for her own matching flower. "Thelma, let's do this thing."

I grinned. "Yet another adventure, Louise."

We walked through the house arm in arm to the back patio. Ahead, on the beach, I could see a hundred flickering tea lights half-buried in the sand, lighting the path to where Mick, Josef, and the minister stood awaiting our arrival. Daryl and Carrie, Guillermo, Logan and their dates sat in folding chairs facing the ocean while the moon shone brightly in the winter sky, lighting the scene like our own giant spotlight. The roar of the ocean would be our only music. The wind was relatively calm for the beach at night, and the air was cold and crisp—perfect vampire weather.

Simone released my arms and hugged me, then preceded me down the path to the beach in her iridescent gray gown, and I followed in her bare footsteps. Ahead of her was little Lily, strewing flowers to brighten our way. She happily took her place beside Daryl and Carrie.

Across the small expanse of sand, I looked at my groom. He was handsome in the silver tux I'd picked for him because the color exactly matched his eyes when he made love to me.

I knew immediately that something was wrong. His aura was not that of a nervous man on his wedding day—it showed great anguish and doubt. And even if I couldn't read auras, when I met his eyes, I could clearly see the hesitance and guilt written there. I felt my smile waver, and I walked the rest of the way in a daze, the sand soft and cool beneath my feet.

I wanted desperately to ask what was wrong, but our friends had risen from their chairs and were watching my arrival with happy smiles. Josef's smile, however, was filled with irony, and I knew instinctively that he had something to do with Mick's less than blissful mood. My brow furrowed slightly, but the best man's grin only widened. Mick was looking at me appreciably, but it didn't erase what was shining from his aura or from those expressive green eyes of his.

Simone took her place as matron of honor to my right and Mick took my hand in his. His trembled slightly. He suddenly couldn't look at me, and he faced resolutely forward. Then our vampire minister was speaking.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here this night to join for eternity this man and this woman. If anyone knows reason why this marriage should not proceed, let him speak now, or forever hold his peace."

It was just something that was said at weddings. Another tradition. No one ever said anything at this time, unless you count smaltzy chick flicks. Sometimes there were a few nervous twitters of laughter, a few whispered jokes. But now, when Mick cleared his throat slightly, his aura shifting to abject fear, I felt the world spin off its axis.

"I—I have something to say."

A/N: I know, mean to leave you hanging here. I promise to continue it soon. The next chapter will be the conclusion of this short tale. I hope to see you back for it!


	4. Conclusion

A/N: Well, here it is, the conclusion of another fic. I hope you've enjoyed this. It has been so gratifying to see some of the old gang of readers chiming in, as well as some newbies. Thanks for coming back for more.

**Chapter 4: Conclusion**

"Jesus, Mick," said Josef softly. "Now? Really?"

I looked around at all my friends, totally confused at what I was doing, wondering what I was about to do. But Josef was right. I couldn't do this in front of everyone. I took Beth's hand.

"Could you give us a minute, please?" I said to the gathering at large. "Excuse us."

I walked her down the beach a ways, mindful that of course the vamps we'd left waiting would be able to hear us for up to a mile in any direction, but they were all pretty honorable (except maybe for Josef) and I hoped they wouldn't listen and try to respect our privacy. But as we walked, I could hear their concerned mutters, which only increased my nervousness.

"What is it?" Beth was saying as I pulled her along through the sand. "What are you so afraid of?"

She literally dug her heels in the sand, forcing me to turn and face her. I suddenly was at a loss for words. How do you tell the woman you're about to marry that you kissed and felt up some random freshie in a club?

"Did something happen at the bachelor party?" she prompted, then her face grew stern. "What did Josef do?"

I suppose I could blame everything on Josef. He probably wouldn't care. He did take me to that blasted club in the first place.

"Well…he took me to a vampire club last night—"

"Vampire club? You told me there weren't any clubs like that."

"I didn't know about them. Anyway, at this club there was a lot of blood—"

"Can I join?"

"Beth—"

"Okay, so there was blood. Don't tell me. There were freshies there and you couldn't control yourself."

"Yes. Well, sort of. It was…" I hesitated.

"Spit it out, St. John."

I guess the Band-Aid approach was best, so I decided to just rip it off.

"I kissed a freshie."

Her eyes narrowed. "Did you like it?"

"Yes," I admitted softly.

"Was there tongue?"

I swallowed hard. "Yes," I managed.

"Did you bite her?"

"No." Somehow that always seemed a big issue with her, so I was at least happy to give her that good news.

She stared at me, and then her eyes swept my body, no doubt trying to read my aura.

"Did you do anything else with her?"

My guilt was showing. "Yes. I. Well. I…I cupped her…her breast."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

She assessed me one more time, nodded, then turned her back on me, looking out to the sea. I stood there helplessly, waiting for the guillotine to drop.

"Why, Mick?" she asked finally.

"A few reasons, I suppose. None of which has anything to do with not loving you, or not wanting to marry you."

"Well, you've admitted this much, let's have it all." She turned reluctantly back to me.

I sighed. "For one, I felt a little crazed by all the blood from the blood wrestling."

"The blood _what_?" she said, eyebrows lifting.

I closed my eyes, briefly rubbing the bridge of my nose. "It's just what you think. An entire vat full of human blood."

"What the hell kind of place was this?" she asked.

"I really don't think you want to know. The important thing is, it's really no excuse for what I did, just an explanation of why I acted so…out of character. Then, it occurred to me that this was my bachelor party, that I was supposed to have fun, get the single life out of my system. So…I guess that's what I did. I want you to know that it meant nothing. All it's done is made me feel guilty and mad at myself."

"Is that all you have to say?" she asked calmly. Oddly calm, really. I began to become suspicious. Was this the calm before the storm? Was this the final straw, even after all we'd been through?

"Yes, except that I love you, and I'm begging you to forgive me." It was my Hail Mary pass. "I'm not ashamed to admit I'm begging. I can't go on without you, Beth. I swear to God nothing like this will ever happen again."

She stared deeply into my eyes—frantic and frightened, I'm sure—then looked me over, likely reading my aura.

"I believe you," she said at last, and I felt my entire body nearly drooping with relief. "And, I can forgive you. If…if you can forgive me." She averted her eyes.

"What? What for?"

I felt like she'd kicked me in the gut. Here I'd been suffering and castigating myself over a kiss and she'd been up to no good too?

"I wasn't going to tell you this. Well, maybe later—_much_ later. But, since we're playing true confessions…Last night, while you and Josef were out, Simone invited me over to their place. I had no idea that she'd planned a little party for me, even though I'd asked her not to. I guess it wasn't a party exactly, but—"

"What happened?" I ground out impatiently, conscious that people were waiting for us, but wanting her to get to the point so I could figure out how I was supposed to feel.

"She'd hired a couple of freshies. Male freshies. _Attractive_ male freshies."

"Oh," I said tightly, not liking where this was going. "Go on."

"I know we agreed that we don't partake of freshies, but this was my bachelorette party, and I admit I was curious. I mean, I'd never used one before."

"I can't believe Simone did that," I said angrily. "Josef, I'd expect. But Simone?"

"Don't blame her. She was like Eve with the apple, but remember, Adam had a choice too. I uh—partook because _I _wanted to."

So many things I wanted to say. I couldn't be a hypocrite about this—I'd used my share of freshies in my day, even used Beth like that when we first got together. But the idea of her sharing so intimate an act with a good-looking guy made me feel decidedly…hypocritical. What could I say? _Did you like it? Did it turn you on?_

"Wrist or jugular?" I asked instead.

"Jugular," she replied sheepishly. Not what I wanted to hear.

"Okay. Did you touch him anywhere else?"

She regarded me a moment, no doubt seeing the hypocrisy in _that_ question.

"You mean did I fondle him? Feel him up? Gee, Mick, what if I did?"

"Did you?" I persisted.

"No," she answered, leaving me hanging a few frustrating moments. Punishment I suppose for my own freshie encounter. "But he touched himself."

"Jesus, Beth, I didn't need to know that."  
>"Sure you did. You probably also want to know if I got off on it."<p>

"No."

"Liar."

"Did you?"

"No," she said. "I hated every moment of it, just like I always knew I would."

I didn't believe her.

"I don't believe you," I said aloud.

She shrugged, then her face contorted in despair. "I liked it, Mick. Dammit, I liked it. It was so sensual, so erotic. And his blood was so sweet…I'm sorry," she was crying now. "I feel awful about it, and I don't want to do it again, but honestly Mick, it was so hard to resist—"

Her body was trembling now, and I did what I always did with Beth—forgave her instantly and took her into my arms.

"Shh…it's okay, sweetheart. It's natural for a vamp. What we do normally, heating up blood from bags? That's not what we were made to do. Don't feel bad about this. It was instinct, nothing more."

She held onto me, the scent of the single lily she held wafting around us. I rubbed her bare back, smooth beneath my hands.

"So," I said, the humor creeping back into my voice. "We are two imperfect beings. I guess we don't have the right to get married."

"No," she concurred ironically. "I don't suppose we should."

I pulled back from her, reaching down to cup her sweet chin. "Will you forgive me?"

"You swear you won't kiss any more freshies?"

I nodded.

"Then, yes, of course you're forgiven. What about what I did? Can we get past that?"

"There's really nothing to forgive there, Beth. You are a vampire. You're free to get blood however you choose. It's not what I want to do, but it's your decision. I won't look down on you if you'd rather go the freshie route. I'll be uncomfortable about it, especially if you always pick attractive men, but that's my problem. I'll deal."

"I'm not sure," she said hesitantly. "Can I think about it?"

"Of course. All I ask is that we both stop with the secrets. We can't get married unless we agree to be open and honest."

"Okay," she said, looking up into my eyes, hers blue and watery and beautiful. "Deal."

"Deal," I whispered, before fusing my mouth to hers.

The kiss went on another minute or two, when suddenly we heard a familiar voice from the direction of the wedding party.

"Aren't you two putting the cart before the horse again?" It was Josef, of course.

I pulled away reluctantly from my bride and looked in my best man's direction.

"Yes," I called back. "Now quit eavesdropping!"

There was spontaneous applause, and I grinned down at my Beth.

"Shall we?" I held out my arm, which she took without hesitation.

The rest of the wedding passed with a blur. There were vows said, rings exchanged, and a deep, wet kiss that was the reason for the blurriness of the rest of it.

Inside Simone's house, we had a simple reception with blood and champagne- Vamp banquets aren't very expensive. Josef gave his expected witty toast, and Beth and I mingled with the guests while all I could really think about was getting my wife alone for our honeymoon.

Amid congratulations from my friends, Josef stopped, champagne in hand.

"You just couldn't stop yourself," he sighed. "You almost ruined everything."

"A secret like that was no way to start a marriage, Josef."

He shrugged. "Well, in the interest of full disclosure, and now that you are so happily chained and Beth soon to be balled, I feel it's my duty as your best man to let you know that I had your back all along."

"Really?" I asked suspiciously. "How so?"

"I made sure that while you had a bachelor party to remember, your ass was covered at home with Simone's very tempting freshie party."

I looked at him in shock. I don't know how he can still take me by surprise, but my jaw literally dropped at his admission.

"You son of a bitch," I murmured angrily. Several of my friends heard, of course, and turned to look at the two of us, about to embark on one of our legendary disagreements, to put it mildly. Daryl took a pre-emptive step toward us, should he need to hold me back from killing my best man. I actually felt my eyes going silver and my fangs beginning to drop at the prospect. Josef merely raised a laconic eyebrow.

"Don't go all ballistic on me, Mick; this is supposed to be a happy occasion, remember? What I did, my friend, is what is known as mutually assured destruction. In other words, since you have equal ways of destroying one another, neither of you has the guts to do it."

I stood there, hands clenched at my side, just aching to punch him in the face. But this was my wedding day, and I wasn't going to ruin it for Beth. I literally counted to ten, and caught Beth's eye across the room and immediately felt calmer.

"You know what, Josef," I said at last. "I'm not even going to hit you. I'm going to take my wife, hop your jet to Sweden and enjoy our honeymoon in that awesome ice hotel, and forget all about you for awhile. But when I get back…well, it'll sort of be like what my mom would do when I screwed up. She'd say, 'wait till your father gets home,' and I'd spend the whole day, sweating and stewing in fear over the whipping I would get when he came through the door."

Josef grinned and took a sip of champagne, not ruffled in the least by my ire.

"Will I have to call you _Daddy?" _

"You will when you're begging for mercy," I growled.

By that time, Beth had made her way to my side, prying open one of my hands so she could hold it consolingly. Of course, in a room full of vamps, nothing was sacred, and everyone knew what was going on. I had no doubt they were all on my side in this one.

"That was pretty low, Josef, even for you," Beth said acidly.

My so-called friend only shrugged. "Satan only gave Eve the idea, Beth. He didn't bite the apple for her."

I felt her hand tighten on mine. Why did Josef bring out the worst in people?

"I just want you to know though, Goldilocks," he continued. "My lovely wife had nothing to do with this. _I _invited those freshies over."

"I don't blame her one bit, Josef," she told him coldly.

He nodded in relief. "Good, because I fear the wrath of my wife much more than your simmering hubby here." Simone was staring daggers at him, and I knew when the party was over, Josef would have a whole new meaning of _assured destruction. _ The thought made me feel much better, and I grinned.

"I think it's time we left," I announced, downing the rest of my drink. "Thank you all for coming, for standing by our sides through all the ups and downs that led us to this day. We couldn't have gotten through it without you guys."

There were scattered calls of congratulations and jokes about the honeymoon, and I squeezed my wife's hand. We said our good-byes, inundated with hugs and kisses and well wishes.

Outside, in the moonlight beside my car, I drew my bride into my arms, kissing her soundly.

"You look beautiful in that dress, by the way," I whispered. "I can't wait to take it off."

She smiled, and drew my head back down for a follow-up kiss.

We'd taken out the "till death do us part" section of our wedding vows, and substituted "from this day forward." Death hadn't parted us. On the contrary, it had actually brought us to this moment.

No man—and certainly no vamp—would ever separate us again.

**The End?**

A/N: Thanks for reading this! So glad there are still "Moonlight" fans out there, and fanfiction to keep the show alive. I don't know when or if I'll write another fic for this fandom, but I'm keeping the door open. You never know about me. Meanwhile, if you are a fan of "The Mentalist," I'm pretty active in that fandom too. If you like my writing, I'd love for you to give those fics a try. Thanks again!


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